One Piece's manga sales give fans hope of a feat no manga has ever achieved

The legendary manga One Piece is poised to do what no manga has ever done before – surpass Superman in total comic sales. The manga now stands at 578 million copies sold worldwide, and Eiichiro Oda’s seafaring saga has overtaken Batman and is just several million away from Superman. It’s not just a One Piece landmark but a game changer for the industry as a whole.

While Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats continue to make history with new chapters, anime arcs, and international announcements, fans are confident that it's only a matter of time before One Piece claims the highest-selling comic book in history.

---

One Piece sales surge signals manga’s dominance

Over 578 million copies of One Piece have been sold worldwide, which makes Eiichiro Oda the best-selling manga author of all time. The only comic to top that number is from Superman, which began printing in 1938.

When you consider the fact that Superman has nearly 90 years of sales, manga like One Piece that has been in publication since 1997 is so close to surpassing Superman's sales that it's a big deal. As of now, fans and analysts were projecting that with the current trends, One Piece will overtake Superman in sales in the next two to three years if they keep it up.

The massive success of the manga is no fluke. Its complex worldbuilding, emotional writing, and unforgettable character cast have made it a worldwide phenomenon. With 111+ volumes and going, the series continues to attract new readers while keeping its dedicated fans. The recent 28th anniversary celebration solidified One Piece's place in the cultural standing.

---

A cultural shift beyond the numbers

Surpassing Superman is not just a number - it represents a shift in global pop culture. For decades, Western comics and the stories around Batman, Superman and Spider-Man have filled the comicsphere. With One Piece on its way to the top of the charts it's that manga is no longer niche or even regional. Manga is not a force in fandom able to compete with the West's great heroes and characters.

The momentum also carries the entire manga and anime industry forward. With One Piece tapping into more and more fans across the world, they open up opportunities for other Japanese works to achieve global success. The success of Luffy's journey serves not only to inspire new creators but also represents a growing change in how global audiences consume stories.

The manga industry will live in any time we can see when this will happen, but whether or not One Piece dethrones Superman, it has already shown that manga can stand shoulder to shoulder with the greatest mediums of storytelling ever.

---